How we verify quotes

The internet is full of quotes credited to the wrong person. Einstein, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde and Maya Angelou get credit for hundreds of lines they never said. Quolira's promise is simple: real quotes, correctly attributed. Here is how we try to keep it.

1. We start from documented sources

Quotes by a named person are taken from documented collections first, mainly the sourced sections of Wikiquote, which list the book, speech, letter or interview a line comes from. Where we can, we name that source next to the quote, with the work and the year.

2. We check against known misattributions

Many famous lines are documented as misattributed or disputed, for example by Quote Investigator and the "Misattributed" sections on Wikiquote. Lines listed there are never presented as genuine.

3. Disputed quotes get an attribution note

Some misattributed quotes are so well known that readers look for them. We keep those, but every one carries a clear Attribution note that says what is actually documented. Where the real author is well established, we credit them instead. We currently document 225 such cases on our misattributed quotes page.

4. Original lines are labeled as such

Some collections contain original sayings written for Quolira. They never carry a famous name, so they cannot be mistaken for a historical quote.

5. We correct mistakes

Checks are partly automated and spot-checked by a person every week, but no process is perfect. If you think a quote or attribution is wrong, contact us. We check it against the documented sources and correct it if we were wrong.